


Winter

by Kireii-yume (kireii_yume)



Series: Kireii-Yume's 25 Days of Ficmas 2017 [8]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: A couple other characters are mentioned, Gen, Short, but nothing major
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2019-02-12 06:44:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12953604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kireii_yume/pseuds/Kireii-yume
Summary: Mei reflects on winter.





	Winter

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all, coming to you as a living corpse after dead week, mental health issues, and illness with a lil ficlet! Hope you don't mind the length!
> 
> Prompt is from [this](https://promptsfromtheaether.tumblr.com/post/156676756016/prompt-51) blog:   
> “This time of year is always hated by so many people. Thick blankets of snow, no animals out, and a sea of white and gray. No color, no color anywhere.  
> But, I understand none of this, I see color; I see life. Sure it’s colder than usual, but the world isn’t dead.”

When Mei looked outside and saw the first snowfall, she smiled. “Look, Snowball,” she told her little omnic friend. “Winter is finally here!” With an extra spring in her step, she went through her morning routine, got dressed, made tea. Everything as normal. But everything was different, in a way. Mei’s heart was full in a way that it never could have been at any other time of year. 

She walked into the common area, an extra skip in her step as she smiled. When she started boiling the water for her tea, she looked around and saw Lucio heading in, wearing an extra two hoodies. “Good morning, Lucio!” she said, beaming. “Would you want any tea?” 

“Mornin’! And, um, sure, I guess. I don’t usually drink it but with this weather I guess I’ve gotta try it. Ugh. I hate winter.” Mei added more water to the kettle and looked outside pensievely. 

“This time of year is always hated by so many people,” she said, mostly to herself. “There’s no color, no animals. But I don’t understand. I see color. I see life. It’s colder than usual but the world isn’t dead.” She poured the tea, passing one mug to Lucio and taking one for herself. 

“But weren’t you stranded in a ton of snow? Wasn’t that lonely?” Lucio asked as he took the mug. Mei paused, her hands shaking a little bit, before answering.

“I was. When my friends didn’t wake up...I hadn’t ever felt more alone. But then, I knew there was hope, and that I had to get my research to Overwatch. So when I was in the snow, alone, there was life. The ice and the snow is really a beautiful thing. It’s so complex. And I’d never felt so happy as when I was in it. No matter the circumstances.” Lucio nodded. “And just look at everyone! Children play outside, everyone is celebrating...winter is a time for happiness, a time for friendship and family.” 

As they looked around the Overwatch HQ, Lucio noticed that Mei was right. Everyone was putting up Christmas decorations together, even the more stoic of the group, and not a single person looked melancholy or discontent. Hanzo and McCree were working together to put up garlands, Reinhardt was working on the tree, and everyone else was decorating every inch of the common area. Despite the cold outside, it had never felt more warm.

Mei watched the scene, sipped her tea, and smiled. Even after all she’d lost, she couldn’t help but think about how lucky she was.


End file.
